My Brother's Keeper
by PunishmentFactor
Summary: It was the night of Cocoyashi's liberation. Everyone was happy and celebrating. That is, everyone except a certain bounty hunter named Johnny; who only wished his partner would ask him to dance. JohnnyxYosaku. Requested of me by Finding-Emo.


**I don't own One Piece.**

**It's been awhile since I've posted, (I'm working on several multi-chapter stories at the moment) but I received a request for a JohnnyxYosaku fic from Finding-Emo, and decided to oblige. Please go a little easy on me, as this is my first attempt at writing yaoi. I have nothing against yaoi, but when it comes to writing it I could probably use a little more practice. Hopefully this turned out okay.**

**And on a technical note, in my research for this story, I noted the translation of what Johnny and Yosaku call each other seemed to vary a bit. Some translations used "Sempai" but I found a footnote that stated this was a mistranslation, and actually supposed to be "Aniki" which I believe means brother. (See chapter 42.) And since it seems to be acknowledged that Johnny and Yosaku refer to others and themselves as 'brother' (even though they're not related, as far as we know) I decided to use the universally accepted translation of 'brother,' rather than 'aniki.' **

* * *

Cocoyashi was saved.

They had spent eight years of imprisonment under the rule of Arlong and his fishmen, and now for the first time in eight years, the island had cause to celebrate.

And celebrate…they did.

"MEAT!!"

"Nami-swaaannn! Would you honor me with a dance? And then perhaps we can go someplace _romantic_ for the rest of the night?"

"Shut up you idiot. I'm trying to sleep."

"Did you just call me an idiot?! Marimo!"

"MEAT!!"

"And that was how I defeated Arlong! I am the great Captain Usopp!"

_Everyone_ was happy.

Except for one person.

A certain bounty hunter was watching his partner spin about with the mikan-haired savior of Cocoyashi, while he tried to hide his jealousy.

"Brother Johnny! Why don't you come join the party?!" Yosaku cried, spinning around with Nami, who seemed to be pitting up with Yosaku for the most part. "Find someone to dance with!"

Johnny sighed.

There was only one person he wanted to dance with.

"I'd really rather not Yosaku." he said with a shrug.

Yosaku broke away from Nami, (who looked rather relieved) and sat down next to Johnny.

"What's wrong brother?" he asked skeptically.

"Nothing's wrong." said Johnny, in what he hoped was a convincing voice. "You go keep dancing with Sister Nami. You looked like you were having such a good time."

"Sister Nami sure can dance!" said Yosaku enthusiastically.

"She sure can."

"And she's so amazing!" Yosaku continued. "I mean, she survived working for those fishmen for eight years! Just to save her village!"

"Sister Nami sure is pretty courageous."

"And so is Brother Zoro!" said Yosaku. "I mean, did you see when he took out that octopus fishman who had eight swords?! And with _our_ swords too!"

"I sure did."

"It's so amazing that Brother Zoro can fight with three swords!"

"It sure is."

Johnny saw the expression of awe and admiration on Yosaku's face as he looked over to where Zoro was sitting under a tree, arguing with Sanji.

What he wouldn't give to have Yosaku look at him that way.

Yosaku had always admired Brother Zoro so much. Johnny held nothing but deep-seated respect for the green-haired swordsman, but he couldn't help but feel jealous of Yosaku's high regard towards him.

Thoughts began to invade their way into Johnny's mind. Did Yosaku possibly hold affection for their ex-partner? Back when they had been a team, the three of them, had Yosaku and Zoro possibly…?

"What's wrong with you?" said Yosaku, raising an eyebrow and interrupting Johnny's thoughts. "Everyone else is partying and having a good time, and you're over here moping."

"I'm fine." said Johnny, a little more vehemently than he had intended. "I just don't feel like dancing."

"Did Sister Nami turn you down?" said Yosaku, grinning. "She danced with _me._"

"I know. I was watching."

He _had_ been watching, how Nami had reluctantly agreed to dance, and how Yosaku's face had lit up as he spun her around in the dim lantern light, as he, Johnny, had looked on, trying to push away his feelings of envy.

He wasn't jealous of Yosaku, for dancing with Nami, because it wasn't her he had wanted to dance with. No, he was Sister Nami he envied, as Yosaku held her hands, and spun her around…what he wouldn't do to be in her place.

Johnny turned back to look at his partner. Yosaku was reclining on the ground and had lit a cigarette.

"Boy, all that dancing sure can wear you out." he said, exhaling a bit of smoke.

"FRESH HAM WITH MELON!!"

Johnny turned in unison with Yosaku to see Luffy roaming through the various tables of food.

"Hey, haf efer uf yu guys seen seen fwesh ham wif melon on it?" he asked, with his mouth full of meat.

'"I haven't really eaten anything." said Yosaku, shrugging. "I've been too busy dancing. You might try up by that hill, I saw Genzo heading up there with a bottle of sake."

"Fwanks." said Luffy, wandering off.

"You haven't eaten anything?" said Johnny, gaping at his partner incredulously. "There's food everywhere! And you haven't eaten anything?"

"No, not really. I've been having too much fun to bother thinking about food." laughed Yosaku. "I think I might have eaten a rice ball…maybe."

"Well you should eat something." said Johnny, with concern. "And you look a little pale."

"Nah, it's just from dancing." said Yosaku. "I'm just not hungry, that's all."

"How can you not be hungry?" said Johnny, staring at Yosaku in disbelief. "You haven't had anything to eat all day. What with Brother Luffy fighting Arlong, it's not like we stopped and took a break for lunch!"

He reached over and selected a ripe mikan from nearby bowl.

"Eat this." said Johnny, proffering the fruit to Yosaku. "It's from Sister Nami's orchard. They're delicious."

"You know I hate fruits." said Yosaku.

"Just try it!"

"I'm just not hungry! And since when did you become my mother Johnny?"

"Damn you Yosaku!" Johnny yelled, unable to control himself any longer. "Do you want to end up with scurvy again?"

Yosaku gaped at him, completely stunned by Johnny's outburst.

"That was how it all started, wasn't it?" said Johnny, continuing. "'Oh, I'm not hungry, really Johnny, I'm fine.' And then one morning I woke up and found you passed out on the floor in a puddle of your own blood! I didn't know what to do! What would you have done? How do you think I felt, to see you perfectly fine one day, and then the next see you almost dead ?! Not knowing what was wrong with you, or what was going to happen, or if you were…going to…"

His voice trailed off, unable to say what he was thinking.

_If you were going to die…_

"Yeah, but I turned out okay, didn't I?" said Yosaku, in an attempt at cheerfulness, though still looking a little taken aback. "I mean, if it wasn't for the Straw Hats and Sister Nami…"

"There you go again with Sister Nami." said Johnny, sighing with pained exasperation. "Sister Nami's so talented! Sister Nami's so smart! Sister Nami's so beautiful! Sister Nami saved my life!"

"Johnny, I…" Yosaku began.

"Or what about Brother Zoro?" Johnny said, impulsively cutting off Yosaku. "Brother Zoro's strong! Brother Zoro's so amazing! Brother Zoro can fight with three swords at once! Well I damn well know he can! Why don't you go ask him to dance with you, after your next round with Sister Nami? Who is it you fancy more Yosaku? Brother Zoro or Sister Nami?"

Johnny saw the look of stunned shock on Yosaku's face, and instantly regretted yelling at his partner in such a manner.

"I'm sorry." he muttered, looking away. "It's just…"

He paused.

"I'm your brother too, Yosaku."

Yosaku was completely silent, staring back at Johnny in stunned surprise. Then slowly, he reached out and took the mikan fruit from Johnny's hand.

"It's actually not that bad." said Yosaku, after peeling off a bit of the skin with his pocket knife.

Johnny shrugged, not looking at Yosaku.

You want to know something, Johnny?" said Yosaku quietly, after a long moment of silence, while he was eating the mikan orange.

Johnny shrugged again, still not bothering to look back at Yosaku.

"When I had scurvy, and I fell into a coma," Yosaku began. "I wasn't aware of anything at all. I can't even begin to describe what it felt like. I didn't know if it was day or night, or where I was, or what was going on. But every now and then, I would wake up, if only for a few seconds before drifting back into the coma, but there was one thing I always remembered seeing, whenever I opened my eyes. Do you know what it was, Johnny?"

Johnny gave no answer.

"It was you." said Yosaku. "I remember always seeing you, keeping constant vigil over me. No matter what, you were there, Johnny. You never left my side. And knowing that you were keeping watch over me was what kept me going. I remember thinking to myself, 'I can't die. I can't give up and let my partner down. I can't leave Johnny alone like this.' Knowing that you were there and so dedicated, gave me the assurance and comfort I needed to stay alive. If you hadn't been there for me, constantly standing at me side…"

Yosaku's voice trailed off, and this time it was Johnny who stared back in shock.

"If you hadn't been there, I think I would have died long before you ever ran into Brother Luffy and his crew."

Johnny could only gaped at his partner, as Yosaku smiled back at him.

"I-I just did what any brother would do." said Johnny, when he had managed to regain his voice.

"No." said Yosaku. "You did so much more. You were more than a brother to me Johnny. It wasn't Sister Nami who saved my life."

He paused leaning in closer.

"It was you Johnny. _You_ saved my life."

Johnny felt his partner's rough and calloused hands beneath his. And then suddenly, Johnny felt the warmth of his Yosaku's mouth on top of his.

Johnny couldn't breathe, his lips pressed into Yosaku's, but he didn't try to break away. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever felt, and he wanted it to last forever.

And then there was air between them, and they simultaneously let go from the embrace.

Johnny looked back at Yosaku, whose eyes seemed strangely glassy.

"You are so much more than a brother to me, Johnny." Yosaku murmured, taking Johnny by the shoulders. "Don't you ever forget that."

Johnny swallowed, and nodded.

They looked at each other a moment, and then Yosaku stood up.

"Come on." he said, holding out his hand to Johnny.

"What?" asked Johnny, disbelieving. "You mean…?"

Yosaku nodded.

"Let's dance."


End file.
